Commonwealth Confidential

Republican gubernatorial nominee Tom Corbett and his allies in the Philadelphia region have been working hard to undermine support for Democratic candidate Dan Onorato among groups that traditionally lean toward Democrats, including African American voters.

Corbett, on Saturday morning, expects to pick up an endorsement from the Pentecostal Clergy Political Awareness Committee, a group that represents 60 or more largely black churches in the city. Later, Corbett will be endorsed by the Fraternal Order of Housing Police, also a largely black group.

Word of the endorsements comes from Philadelphia attorney David Oh, a former Republican candidate for City Council, who worked with both groups to set up the endorsements.

Oh said that the pentecostal group, led by Bishop Leonard Goins, pastor of Chestnut Hill Church of God in Christ, will endorse Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Joe Sestak in an event Saturday following its endorsement of Corbett.

Bob Asher, co-chairman of Corbett's gubernatorial campaign committee, said that GOP efforts are under way on many fronts to gain support for Corbett among Philadelphia Democrats, including lawyers who may also be giving to Onorato.

A new Rasmussen poll shows Corbett leading in the race by 10 percentage points.

"Yes, it's true that we are reaching out in urban areas ... we are having some truly encouraging success," Asher said.